Working with ZoCo: FAQs

How much do we cost?

Generally, our work falls into two service areas: user research and product design.

Research projects typically start at $50,000. The factors that contribute to cost are generally informed by your audience. How many participants do we need to recruit, is the study qualitative or quantitative or both, is your audience very specialized and difficult to recruit?

Product design work ranges as well. For example, if you’re looking for a quick, sprint-based, prototype design to visualize an initial concept our team could pull together a medium-fidelity prototype for as little as $25,000. However, more robust design work with complex functional requirements can exceed $50,000. 

Looking for ongoing, flexible support instead of a finite project? Typical retainer engagements start at 100 hours per month and grow from there. An engagement of this size would come in at $20,000 per month.

How soon can we start?

The answer to this question is often, “How quickly can you get your team ready to go?!” In reality, we can generally kick off a project within two to three weeks of contracting.

How long do we take to onboard?

Depending on the complexity of your business, our discovery phase could take half a day up to a couple of weeks. The phases isn’t just about the project request: we want to understand your business quickly to ensure our work is contributing to strategic goals. We’ve developed a very efficient project kickoff process that allows our team to onboard quickly while making an impact, so even if you’re in a very complex industry like clinical trials design, our team is able to make an impact while building understanding.

How do we work - retainer or project-based?

For highly detailed work with clear outcomes at the outset, we’ll likely offer a project-based engagement. Ahead of starting, we’ll provide a detailed plan for why, how, and what we will deliver.

When outcomes are ambiguous or the work will be ongoing, we offer scalable retainer engagements. You’ll have access to a core team through a set number of hours per month. Our designers, researchers, and strategists will support your team in a fractionally embedded (more on that below) engagement. Design system build outs and iterative product design are typical examples of retainer engagements. We’ve shared our perspective on previous retainer success in an article here.

How fast do you work?

We consistently hear that we deliver work faster than a lot of internal teams! When you really having a pressing matter, we offer short-term sprint engagements. Similar to a project in that we will define our plan and deliverables before starting, with a sprint, the focus is on mapping the shortest path to impact. A sprint might be perfect for quickly prototyping a new feature or crafting a compelling pitch deck for an upcoming investor meeting.

How do we collaborate with your team?

One thing that we’ve heard repeatedly from past clients is how great our team is as collaborators. We see ourselves as an extension of your team – meaning we communicate transparently, join your internal rituals seamlessly, and are always looking for opportunities to make an impact. You’ll never wonder what we’re working on, and you will quickly see the value our team can bring. Learn more about our approach here.